Essential oils have become extremely popular over the past few years. These oils provide a natural alternative to many prescription and over-the-counter medications. While essential oils provide numerous benefits for the people that use them, they pose a serious safety hazard for our pets. In fact, essential oils are believed to be a common cause of liver problems in pets, especially cats.
Pets don’t even need to ingest essential oils to cause a problem. Pets that inhale droplets of oils could face potentially serious side effects including organ failure, and death. Even essential oils we all use and trust can cause problems for our furry friends.
People around the world use tea tree oil to treat skin conditions and minor irritations. Unfortunately, tea tree oil is one of the most dangerous essential oils for pets. Exposure to tea tree oil exposure can cause confusion, abnormal behavior, and even liver damage in both dogs and cats.
Essential Oil Safety
It’s crucial that pet parents avoid using essential oils on or around their pets. This includes cleaners, candles, and other products containing essential oils. It’s also important not to use essential oil diffusers around pets. Diffusing essential oils causes tiny droplets of oil to enter the air. Invisible to the eye, our pets inhale these droplets, leading to respiratory and liver problems. As there is no testing performed on the effects of essential oils on pets, there is no way to know how much or how little is required to cause a problem.
Essential oils are more dangerous for certain animals than others. For example, cats cannot metabolize essential oils, making them particularly susceptible to essential oil poisoning. While not all oils have been shown to cause toxicity in pets, no essential oils should be used around birds. When in doubt, it’s always best to go without.
Claws N Paws Day Spa offers dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. We care about the health and safety of your pet. Please call 714-962-1005 to schedule a grooming appointment.